MORE than 2,500 Islanders have a “silent killer” which is a leading cause of serious strokes, Stroke Association Jersey is warning ahead of this week’s stroke prevention day.
On Thursday, the association will urge the public to learn how to check their pulse at home to detect abnormalities that might be the precursor to a stroke.
They say that atrial fibrillation – or AF – is a cause in around one in five strokes and these are often more severe, with higher mortality and greater disability, as the association’s services and engagement officer Trudi Lewis explained.
“AF is when your heart beats with an irregular rhythm. When this happens, your heart won’t empty all of the blood out of its chambers with every beat. Then, if your heart chambers aren’t empty, the leftover blood can form clots which travel from your heart into the brain, blocking off blood flow and causing a stroke,” she said.
While symptoms include palpitations – feeling as if the heart is fluttering, thumping or missing a beat – fatigue, feeling breathless or having chest pain, sometimes it has no obvious signs, making diagnosis difficult.
Now a video on the Stroke Association’s website – in which a number of media personalities, including BBC journalist and Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona Bruce, appear – shows how to carry out the simple test, placing two fingers on the wrist or neck.
The association advises any-one whose pulse is irregular, or very fast when they are at rest, to contact their GP. The video is available at: stroke.org.uk/spd24.
